macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration is a condition in which the macula, the small part in the middle of your retina, deteriorates. It is the result of the aging process itself, rather than external factors, and while not everyone gets it, everyone after the age of 40 may develop it. For this reason, we at The Retina Group of Washington strongly urge you to get a yearly screening once you turn 40. And if you are diagnosed with it, you should depend on our Falls Church macular specialist for the expert treatment and management of the disease.

First, the bad news. There is no cure for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The good news is that it will not cause complete blindness. Instead, it erodes your vision in the center of your visual field, eventuality leaving you with only vision on the sides. In addition to age, there are risk factors that can make it more likely you will get AMD. Heredity is one, which there is nothing you can do about, of course. Others like smoking, obesity, high cholesterol, and hypertension can be affected for the better. It is true that women develop AMD more than men do, and for reasons that are not quite clear. Also, lighter skin and eyes tend to be associated with greater propensity for AMD. In addition to annual testing, be sure to see our Falls Church macular specialist right away if you notice any of the following indications: distorted vision with blind spots within the middle of your visual field, and straight lines appearing wavy. State-of-the-art testing includes finding any evidence of drusen, a yellow deposit that may appear in your macula.

Although there is no cure for AMD, our Falls Church macular specialist can help you to retain maximum vision and make the most of it for the long term with various methods. Please call our office and let us schedule an appointment for you to come in.

At The Retina Group of Washington we treat macular degeneration in a relaxing and professional environment. Our Falls Church ophthalmology office is one of many locations that we have. A retina exam is used to assess retinal health and to help prevent the progression of retinal diseases like AMD, or age related macular degeneration. This disease can cause central vision loss.

Side effects of AMD include vision loss, blindness and blurry vision. Our retina exam Gaithersburg includes digital fundus photography, an optical coherence test, and a fluorescein angiography which allows us to see better inside the eye. A retinal exam at our Falls Church ophthalmology office is often the first to show medical conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes because they affect the blood vessels inside the eye and cause bleeding. Many patients in the Washington, D.C. area have their retinal problems diagnosed and treated at one of our locations, and we partner with hospitals around the area to serve our patients best. Our doctors use safe investigative trials to test out new treatments that look promising and participate in national research studies. These studies often result in FDA approval of current treatments.

As one of the largest and highly respected retinal centers in the U.S., we provide patients with comprehensive care. We teach our patients ways to keep eyes healthy and urge them to take good care of their health, using diet and exercise to help their eyes stay healthy. Our Falls Church ophthalmology office has a small practice feel, just like all of our other offices. Patients feel comfortable and listened to and receive customized care. With over 250 years of collective experience, it’s not hard to see why we are at the forefront of retinal care and treatment today.

Many people don’t seek out care for their eyes in general, let alone their retinas, unless there is a problem. The retain serves an essential role in your vision and while you may not give it much thought, when something goes wrong with it, don’t trust your well-being to a regular eye doctor. At The Retina Group of Washington, this is what we do, day in and day out, for more than forty years. Among the conditions that may cause you to need our attention are age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, complications related to cataracts, or a torn or detached retina.

We are pleased to offer cutting-edge diagnostic testing, meaning that you can be confident of an accurate and precise conclusion on which your treatment will be based. In addition, screenings for common eye diseases should be done on an annual basis by our retina care in Falls Church. There are no obvious indications until those conditions reach an advanced stage, and by then the risk of permanent vision loss and/or harm to your eyes is much higher. Of course, it’s usually not possible to anticipate a retinal tear or detachment. In those cases, the appearance of certain basic symptoms will most likely be what alerts you to needing help. What is the nature of that help? Our retina care in Falls Church may include medication, either oral or topical, and when surgery is a necessity or simply the best option for achieving the desired result, we do it either at our office, or in a local hospital. Fortunately, the vast majority of them are outpatient, and because you are in expert hands, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Success rates are typically high.

Schedule an appointment for our retina care in Falls Church. Your retinas are too important not to avail yourself of the expertise and experience we’re known for.

No matter where you go, that dreadful cloud follows everywhere, clouding vision, making it almost impossible to do much of anything. It makes surviving the day feel like a test of fortitude. Sounds like you might be dealing with macular degeneration. You might want to get that taken care of. Pronto. Swing by The Retina Group of Washington and meet with our retina specialist Falls Church.

Make it a priority to stop declining vision—in which case, it’s pivotal to act quickly. Seek out professional help. Ignoring these problems is practically guaranteeing to set yourself up for a world of complications. And why put yourself through all of that hassle when you could just see a retina specialist about treatment? Exactly. Don’t you worry, these specialists are known to treat conditions like macular degeneration, which affects roughly 10 million North Americans— the combined totals of both cataracts and glaucoma. Once you’re over the age of 45, you’re far more likely to develop this condition. Vision is then quietly, gradually affected since macular degeneration is known for its subterfuge. CentraSight is an innovative treatment program that involves a small, telescopic eye implant for folks struggling with end stage age-related macular degeneration. In a nutshell, this implant minimizes the impact of the vision loss. Of course, to be a candidate for this you must confirm: having irreversible end-stage AMD; have lost AMD drug treatment candidacy; haven’t received cataract surgery; and that your age, vision and cornea health meet the requirements. With that said, feel free to reach out to The Retina Group of Washington and speak with our retina specialist Falls Church.

Sound good? Our patients certainly think so. Now all you have to do is pick up the phone, punch a few numbers, and call The Retina Group of Washington. Talk to our amazingly friendly staff about scheduling an appointment with our retina specialist Falls Church.

Are you or a loved one suffering from macular degeneration and in need of the professional attention of a retina doctor in Falls Church that you can trust with the longevity of your vision? Look no further that our friendly and highly dedicated office at The Retina Group of Washington.

At The Retina Group of Washington, we take pride in our position as pillars of retinal health in our local community, spanning from the lengths of Falls Church to the outer periphery of nearby neighborhoods, where patients of all walks of life, all ages, and suffering from all kinds of ailments can find peace and hope for better optical health and clearer vision. Whether you need a routine checkup or a serious surgery, our skilled specialists can support you every step of the way, offering you the information, diagnosis, and personalized treatments you need to ensure that you receive the most effective care possible while avoiding suffering from any unnecessary discomfort. Looking for a retina doctor in Falls Church that can help you better understand your macular degeneration and do whatever is possible to abate, if not reverse its symptoms? We have the specialist for you. We can ensure that your case of macular degeneration is studied by a retina specialist who will cater a treatment path to your specific needs. By personalizing your treatment and examining thoroughly for the results, our team can make absolute sure that you receive your best possible shot at protecting and maintaining, and even in some cases, improving, your eyesight.

To learn more about what top tier optical care can do to improve your optical health, eyesight, and general quality of life, give us a call at The Retina Group of Washington today. We’ll pair you with a retina doctor in Falls Church who can make all the difference.

Welcome to the Retina Group of Washington’s website! We’re happy to have you here. Look around our site for information on our services and for more on how our practice works. Our retina doctor in Falls Church specializes in a wide range of retinal diseases such as macular degeneration. Our retina specialists are highly trained in all aspects of eye and retinal care, keeping your eye health in mind. We are a leading provider of retinal services in the Washington area. We serve the Washington, Maryland and Virginia areas, and are linked to hospitals in the area as well.

Macular degeneration may cause vision loss or blindness and may happen to older adults. In fact, it is one of the leading causes of vision loss in people over the age of 60. Our retina specialist can diagnose and then subsequently treat macular degeneration in our offices. We have high tech technology that we use for all our vision testing in order to give you the most accurate test results, so you can feel confident you’re in the right hands. Our retina doctor in Falls Church can treat macular degeneration with a combination of vitamins that help reduce the risk of progression.

As one of the largest practices in the country, The Retina Group has relied on their team of doctors for over 35 years to deliver the most cutting edge in research and optical medicine. We see over 154,000 patients each year at our offices, which branch throughout the Washington, D.C. area and are close to major transportation hubs so that patients can get to our offices as conveniently as possible. Our retina doctor in Falls Church group attends many seminars and studies every year in order to keep up to date on the latest in retinal surgeries, procedures and techniques.

Macular degeneration is a serious disease. It can strike anyone, but mostly patients over the age of 55 have a higher risk for macular degeneration. The Retina Group of Washington specializes in treating retinal disorders and problems. We treat macular degeneration before it gets worse.

The biggest risk factor for macular degeneration is age. Those over the age of 55 are at a higher risk, and risk increases as people age. Other risk factors include smoking, which doubles the risk of AMD, race and genetics. Those with a family history are more likely to get AMD, and those who are caucasian are more at risk for developing the disease than hispanics, Latinos or African-Americans. As of right now there is no known cure for macular degeneration. Quitting smoking, starting to exercise and eat a healthy diet and protecting eyes from UV rays all go a long way in preventing AMD. Our macular specialist in Falls Church can tell you more about AMD and the different kinds. Dry AMD is different from regular AMD.

Macular degeneration affects central vision, which is used for reading or driving. If not treated properly, macular degeneration may cause vision loss and even blindness. There are different types of macular degeneration, such as age related macular degeneration and dry AMD. Other conditions, like retinal detachment, need specialists like our macular specialist in Falls Church to treat them. Macular Degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss, affecting more than 10 million Americans. That’s more than cataracts and glaucoma combined. Macular Degeneration deteriorates the central portion of the retina, which is the inside back layer of the eye that records the images we see. These images are sent by the optic nerve from the eye to the brain. The retina’s central portion is known as the macula. It is responsible for focusing central vision in the eye, and it controls our ability to read, drive and see objects in fine detail.

Are you in need of a retina surgeon in Falls Church but unsure where to turn? Look no further than The Retina Group of Washington, where you can find all of your optical solutions in an environment full of highly trained specialists who truly care.

At The Retina Group of Washington, our staff is full of kind and seasoned professionals who share a genuine concern for the maintenance and protection of our fellow members of the Irving community and beyond. Our mission is to preserve, restore, and enhance the vision of our patients by combining state-of the-art optical techniques with highly advanced equipment, creating effective treatments in an environment where patients of all ages can feel comfortable, welcome, and respected. Our wide variety of services are fit to treat the entire family and include professional surgical procedures for cataracts, premium IOLs and lens implants, comprehensive eye exams, care for eye diseases, eye injury treatment, and contact lens fittings and examinations. In other words, if you’ve been putting off routine eye exams or may be suffering from an undiagnosed optical condition, don’t hesitate; book an appointment with our retina surgeon in Falls Church today to ensure that you receive the Irving eye exam you need to protect the future of your eyes and vision. You may be a good candidate for our CentraSight treatment program, a new technology involving the use of a tiny telescope that is implanted inside the eye to enhance the vision of people suffering from end-state age-related Macular Degeneration. The FDA-approved device allows for the central vision blind spot caused by macular degeneration to be bypassed, so that patients can see more using the healthy area of the light-sensing retina.

At the Retina Group of Washington, our Falls Church eye specialist is experienced in treating age-related macular degeneration, a condition that is common but can cause blindness or vision loss if not treated in time.

AMD is a common eye condition that can cause vision loss in people over the age of 50. The macula, a spot near the middle of the retina, is needed for good central vision. AMD can come on slowly and without warning, which is why any changes in vision should be checked by our Falls Church eye specialist. Over time, it can begin to blur the central vision and objects are not as bright as they once were. Loss of central vision can interfere with the ability to see close up and perform everyday activities like driving and reading. Risk factors for AMD include smoking, race and family history. People who have a family history are at a higher risk than those who do not have one, and genetic risk factors are suspected. Environmental factors like smoking and nutrition can also contribute to AMD. Quitting smoking and beginning to exercise regularly can reduce the risk of AMD or slow its progression. Eating a healthy diet can help immensely to lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

Our Falls Church eye specialist detects AMD using a comprehensive dilated eye exam. It includes a visual acuity test to measure distance vision, a dilated eye exam, a fluorescein angiogram, which is a dye injected into the arm in order for us to take high quality photos of the eye, and an Amsler grid, which can detect changes in central vision. AMD is detected by the presence of drusen, yellow deposits under the retina. Although many people develop them over time, the presence of larger drusen can indicate AMD, as can pigmentary changes. If you happen to need eye surgery in Gaithersburg, we perform in-office treatments like cryotherapy, laser photocoagulation and steroid injections. Also, ask about our Ozurdex implants as well as Avastin and Macugen therapies.

When you’re trying to survive the week with eyes that can barely see what’s only two feet in front of you, it can feel like a tall-task to make it through without being overwhelmed by the frustration. With that said, it’s time to take control of the situation. Go ahead and reach out to The Retina Group of Washington and speak with our retina specialist in Falls Church.

So… if you’re interested in wrestling back control over declining vision, it’s pivotal that you not waste any time in seeking and acquiring professional help. Doing the opposite (ignoring the health issues altogether) is setting yourself up for a troublesome horizon. And why go through that when there’s a perfectly good retina specialist in Falls Church? Exactly. That’s the kind of professional you’ll want to see if suffering from something along the lines of macular degeneration, a condition that affects over 10 million North Americans—that’s comfortably ahead of both cataracts and glaucoma combined. Over the age of 45? Chances are higher that you’ll develop this condition which quietly, subtly attacks vision. Yes, macular degeneration is a sneaky one. Which is why seeing a specialist who can evaluate, assess, and treat it is not an option—it’s a necessity. So don’t let the hands of time tick any further than they already have. Slice up a sliver of time to pay The Retina Group of Washington a visit.

Experience what all of our patients both past and present are raving about—a life-changing experience that’ll leave your vision in much better conditions than what it was before. And all you have to do to get started is shoot The Retina Group of Washington a call or an e-mail. Schedule an appointment and be on your way to seeing our retina specialist in Falls Church.